The Canon EOS 650D is a nice upgrade for the popular EOS 600D; a semi-professional camera that beginners can easily grow into but offers lots of bells, whistles and creative options for more skilled photographers.

Canon EOS 650D South Africa [Review]

The Canon EOS 650D is Canon’s upper entry-level DSLR camera, placing it between the 600D model and the bigger 60D. While on the surface the camera looks almost identical to the earlier 600D, there have been a few changes that make it a superior camera and if you’re looking to switch

still include great HD video recording and an articulating screen, but the awkward layout and confusing menu of the 600D have been vastly improved, making the 650D user friendly and easier for beginners to learn. Perhaps the most innovative of all the new intuitive features is the touch screen, meaning the camera can be operated like a smartphone.

Build and Design

The Canon EOS 650D looks pretty much like the 600D; it’s got the same dimensions and it’s a small, relatively lightweight

camera that feels very comfortable if you’ve got small to medium-sized hands. If you’ve got real shovels for hands, the camera might feel insubstantial and a bit difficult to handle.

One of the biggest complaints about the 600D was that there were simply too many buttons on the camera which caused confusion; Canon listened and somewhat streamlined the 650D’s design. The “record” mode is now accessed via the on-off switch; it’s no longer on the mode dial.

The display button, which was beside the ISO button on the body has also disappeared. Built-in stereo mics have been placed in front of the 650D’s hot shoe.

The EOS 650’s AF system has been improved; cross-type sensors are now in all 9 locations and Phase Detect capabilities have been embedded in the new AF hybrid system. This means that you’ll get better autofocus in Live View and movie modes.

Some other new features in the design of the camera include faster continuous shooting (up to 5 fps compared to 3.7 fps in the previous model) and two new multiple exposure shooting modes: Multi-shot Noise Reduction for

Lenses

Canon has also unveiled their new lenses for the EOS 650D: an 18-135mm kitzoom and a 40mm f2.8 pancake prime lens which both have Stepper Motor Technology. These lenses are responsible for faster and quieter auto focusing while recording video or using Live View, taking care of the complaint that the 600D was a bit noisy and slow in these modes.

Features

The Canon EOS 650D has everything the 600D had and more; along with the brilliant touchscreen, these features include:

Image Quality

Interestingly, while the 650D does have a few more on-board goodies than its predecessor, the image quality remains roughly the same. The camera of course produces very high quality photos that are on par with professional photographs, but some of the same problems remain. For example, pictures can appear to be a bit “blown out” when the automatic setting is used. However, the new Digic 5 processor means that in certain shots, noise will be reduced and colour will be improved.

Generally speaking, the quality of photos is very good, but one thing that might drive you batty is the fact that the continuous auto-focus in the movie mode and the AF in Live View is slow. While the new lenses mentioned above do take care of some of the problem, it’s much faster to use the viewfinder.

Like the 600D, the 650D can boast of solid, high quality ISO performance with little or no chrominance or luminance noise.

Conclusion

While some might say that the Canon EOS 600D might offer more value for money, if you’re an absolute beginner with DSLR photography or an experienced photographer who appreciates the increased creative shooting options, the Canon EOS 650D is the better choice. It is a user-friendly camera, and the touch screen will help make smartphone users feel right at home,

eliminating the confusion that clouded the 600D’s menu and controls. The Hand-held Night Scene mode and the noise reduction mode will both give your photos a professional, polished look.

The Good

Great image quality and high ISO performance

Articulating smartphone-style touch screen

User friendly

5 fps continuous shooting

The Bad

Same 18 MP as Canon EOS 600D, the 650D’s predecessor

No rating button

Raw burst depth

Newly featured NR mode is for JPEG only, not available for raw

Slow Live View AF

The Verdict

★★★☆☆

The Canon EOS 650D is a nice upgrade for the popular EOS 600D; a semi-professional camera that beginners can easily grow into but offers lots of bells, whistles and creative options for more skilled photographers.